This invention relates to nitramines and more particularly to nitramines having hydroxy functional groups.
1,7-Dihydroxy-2,4,6-trinitro-2,4,6-triazaheptane (3ND) has been prepared from 1,7-diacetoxy-2,4,6-trinitro-2,4,6-triazaheptane (BSX) according to a method disclosed by [J. Amer. Chem. Soc. 1956,801]shown in the following equation: ##STR1## While this method does provide access to 3ND, both the mono and bis(trifluoroacetates) are formed during the trifluoroacetolysis and are difficult to separate. After purification, only 45% of the bis(trifluoroacetate) was obtained from BSX. Purification of this intermediate is necessary to obtain 3ND of good quality because 3ND is unstable in solution and cannot be purified easily. The yield of the bis(trifluoroacetate) can be increased to 60% by repeating the trifluoroacetolysis step on the crude initial reaction product. The methanolysis of the pure (trifluoroacetate) to 3ND proceeds quantitatively. The major disadvantages of this procedure are that large amounts of expensive trifluoroacetic acid and repeated recrystallizations are required. It involves at least four separate steps (2 acetolyses, 1 recrystallization, 1 methanolysis). The same problems will exist if this process is used to prepare 1,9-dihydroxy-2,4,6,8-tetranitro-2,4,6,8-tetraazanonane from 1,9-diacetoxy-2,4,6,8-tetranitro-2,4,6,8-tetraazanonane.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a new less expensive, more efficient, and easier method of producing 1,7-dihydroxy-2,4,6-trinitro-2,4,6-triazaheptane or 1,9-dihydroxy-2,4,6,8-tetranitro-2,4,6,8-tetraazanonane.